WOW!!! I'm mesmerized by the elephant ears. I want to know more and after the monsoon rainfall we have had here this year, I'm certain I can support them.

Your plummies are beautiful. Not sure what the red one is either but it's certainly got a lot of color. Right now I'm struggling to keep my red cuttings alive. It's like a fight against time. Love seeing your pixes they give me hope.

And I really love those elephant ears.... :)

Wow Dave!! That's amazing! Where did you find that? I would love to add that to my border in front of my apartment. How long has it been growing there? Can you protect it and leave it in ground during winter, or do you have to dig it out?
Andrew

Looks great! I cant imagine the amount of water elephant ears of that size need but they look great and the plumerias have so much color, they must love this heat!!
Thanks for sharing!
-alex

All,

I found the Colocasia 'Thailand Giant' at a local nursery. I think it might be hardy to zone 8 and warmer, so in Fall, I'll probably remove the foliage, dig and either place in water bucket or a small pot and keep in the garage. I have a soaker hose running along the border and underneath this plant. It's hard to see but there is a 'Jack's Giant' to the left and back of the photo as well. It's not quite as tall, but close. It has narrower leaves.

Dave..

Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi..

Mike..:-)

Great pictures. That elephant ear is fantastic. I want one now.

Great plumerias as always. Mine aren't doing so hot this year, but I'm working on it. Love the huge elephant ear too. I saw them for sale in 15 gallon pots at Holly Wood & Vines for close to $200. I thought that was pretty steep, but for something that size, I actually considered it.
Do you have clay soil where you live?
Keep us posted with more photos.

dpolson,

I got the 'Thai Giant' at Meadows Farms for $19! in a 3-gallon container!

Pu'u Kahea ready to put on a show. The first flower from this inflo is a dud, however. The rest will be opening in the coming weeks. The fragrance is light and pleasantly sweet. The photo fails to capture the vibrancy of the colors.

x

Hey Dave,

I love all of your pictures,,,esp the Thai gaint (A must have for me) I'm looking,,,, But I will have some pictures of my plummies next we when I get home and take a few more, My Black Tiger is slowly pushing an inflo and my Daisy Wilcox has a beautiful set of flowers...but I don't have the beauties that you have in Nova!!!

i really want one of those thai giant!!!!

take care....

laura in vb

x,

My Puu Kahea had major root damage from my garage, but is fortunately re-rooting now as we speak. Likely no blooms for me on it this year though. Pls post more pics of yours as they open up. I've never had a good bloom on mine yet. This year would have been it, were it not for the damage. Grrrr.

Laura, take more photos of your plants blooming by the pool! BTW, in-laws in Wllmbg will be moving to Oklahoma by winter, so we'll not be venturing down to Tidewater nearly as often.

Beautiful blooms Dave. My PP from Dole Plantation is finally blooming...after 5 years. I can not distinguish between PP and California Sunset. Side by side both looks the same to me. Wow!! on the elephant ear plant. I think the leaves on one of those will make a good hypertufa project.

Your Puu Kahea looks great also x. I have 2 in the ground. And when it blooms, it's absolutely gorgeous. No scent for me though.

Kasie

Kasie,

Penang Peach is a rather compact grower for me. Seems to bloom on shorter branches. Is Calif. Sunset compact as well? Pictures??

Regarding EE leaves- they are so flimsy, not sure they'd hold up well to hypertufa. However, if my daughter's class is ever asked to bring in the biggest leaf they can find, you know I'll help her bring in one of these! or maybe an 8-ft banana leaf! LOL! Can just see all the kid's mouths drop.

Dave - I did that for my daughter 2 yrs back when they had to collect autumn leaves for kindergarten. I gave her Ensete, Alocasia calidora and a thai giant. The kids had lots of fun.

Interesting that a couple of my other larger varieties had root loss this winter in the garage and are now finally starting new growth after essentially being treated like giant cuttings - meanwhile my Pu'u Kahea was fine whereas you had the opposite. Go figure.

x

x, yes, the plumerias that had rotted roots had to essentially re-root near the soil line. Some did readily; some didn't at all.

Here are some "then and now" picyures. this pictures will show about a month and a half's worth of growth on my plumerias. Then{{gwi:1188276}} NOW {{gwi:1188278}} THEN {{gwi:1188281}} NOW {{gwi:1188284}} THEN {{gwi:1185363}} NOW {{gwi:1188289}} THEN {{gwi:1174053}} NOW {{gwi:1188295}}

Great job konatiki!! Recollecting fond memories of how life was simple when I had the same amount of plumerias as you. Warning though, you'll have lots more by the end of 2010.

Kasie